


Queen of Cups

by Pipistrellus



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Fortune Telling, One Shot, Tarot, Valentine's Day, just fluff, like seriously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29365647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pipistrellus/pseuds/Pipistrellus
Summary: Inuyasha never went to any University events. When his friend Miroku convinces him to go out to an annual carnival, he begrudgingly joins him. He meets someone unexepected and she seems to know him a lot better than he imagined. How the hell did he even wind up at a psychic's booth?!
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Queen of Cups

**Author's Note:**

> Hey folks, I hope you're all safe and doing well! 
> 
> I had this idea bouncing around and I thought it would be nice to post it for the upcoming Valentine's Day. (Annnnnddd I'm posting it earlier because why not?) Who doesn't like to see our two favorite goofballs meet and have a cute moment? I hope you enjoy the fluffiness! 
> 
> Let me know what you think, I'm always down for comments/ constructive critique / whatever. Bonus points if you want to talk about reading tarot cards.

Every year, the University Graduate Student Society put on a carnival as a fundraiser. Every year, since he had begun his graduate studies, Inuyasha Taisho had managed to avoid it. Except this year. Somehow Miroku, his only friend that he had made in the history department, had convinced him to go. 

Last night, Inuyasha had gone over to Miroku’s apartment to discuss a paper for their History of Pre-Modern Japan course. While Inuyasha sat around on the couch and leafed through articles, Miroku had gone to the kitchen to grab a six pack. 

Two beers in and his friend – could Inuyasha even call him that now – had mentioned the carnival. Miroku had said that it would be good to support the Graduate Student Society, plus his girlfriend would be working at a booth in it. Inuyasha braced himself for what he knew was coming. Turning puppy dog eyes on the inu-hanyou, Miroku begged that he didn’t want to go alone. Inuyasha flatly refused. 

“You know how I got you out of going to the event after Totosai’s seminar three weeks ago?” Inuyasha grunted in acknowledgement. “You oooowweeee meeee,” Miroku said in a sing song voice with a grin that Inuyasha hated. That grin meant that Miroku was going to get his way. That conniving bastard.

Inuyasha pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut, “After this, you don’t get to use this against me. You’re cashing in this favor,” the hanyou groaned, taking a sip of his beer.

“Deal!” Miroku shouted out before his friend could retract his statement. He held up his own drink In a gesture to toast. Inuyasha really wanted nothing more than to slap that grin off of his face.   
\---  
The two had arrived at the carnival together late in the evening and as much as Inuyasha didn’t want to be there, he had to admit they did a good job of setting it up on the quad. There were a number of colorful booths and tents that housed snacks and carnival games along the quad with rows and rows of twinkling string lights looping between them. It smelled like fried dough and fireworks.

Miroku had handed him a small orange paper ticket. “What am I supposed to do with this?” he groused. 

“I don’t know? In case you want to do anything?” His friend let out a good natured laugh and Inuyasha grumbled something under his breath about how he didn’t want to be there anyway. 

As they walked among the stalls, Inuyasha noticed a number of couples holding hands, some even with bouquets full of flowers. “What’s up with that?” he murmured, gesturing to what felt like the hundredth pair of enamored undergrads they had seen tonight.

“Did you forget it’s Valentine’s Day?” Miroku waggled his eyebrows at him. Inuyasha paled and then just as quickly turned red as he clenched his fists at his sides.

“And you didn’t think to mention that to me?” he hissed. 

“I would have never gotten you to come out with me otherwise!” his friend laughed again and this time, it felt like he was distinctly laughing at Inuyasha. Before he could even yell at his traitorous (former) friend, the man had suddenly disappeared from his side and was jogging forward to a far away booth, his short ponytail swishing slightly from side to side. 

The hanyou grumbled and turned his back on Miroku, taking a moment to cool down so he didn’t go to jail for murdering someone at a carnival on Valentine’s Day of all days. That is how Inuyasha found himself here, standing in front of a single tent with a ticket in hand. 

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Miroku in the distance, leaning into the window of a small snack booth making what could only be described as heart eyes at a tall woman with dark brown hair in a high ponytail. She seemed preoccupied with her back to him while turning something frying in a pan, but he could still see the smile on her face. So much for going to the carnival together he sneered. 

Inuyasha looked back up in front of him to see a sign that read ‘Madame Higurashi’. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes as he pulled back the heavy burgundy curtain. Inuyasha would never choose to see a psychic, but he had a single ticket. More importantly, he really did not want to be the third wheel for Miroku when he already didn’t want to be at this carnival to begin with. With a small shrug of the shoulders, he hoped this would kill enough time before he could convince his friend to drive them home. 

The scent hit him first. It was distinctly different from the semi burnt smell the rest of the carnival had. Instead, it was something light and fresh - cherry blossom and citrus. As his eyes adjusted to the dim candle lighting within the tent he saw the Psychic sitting in the center. Her black hair shimmered in the flickering light and was pulled into a loose pile atop her head with wispy tendrils framing her face. She had a thick green shawl draped around her shoulders and large emerald earrings that glinted as she moved to look up at him. Then his eyes landed on hers. To say they were blue was an understatement. They were so bright and swirling with depth that Inuyasha thought for a moment he understood the songs about sirens and how they could lure men into the depths.

He realized he was staring and self-consciously cleared his throat. “Umm, I’ve got this,” he rasped out holding up his single ticket lamely. He had almost entirely forgotten why he was here. Almost. 

“Oh, you can just put that on the table and take a seat,” her voice tinkled like bells and she gestured to the space across from her. His ears swiveled towards her and a light flush crept across Inuyasha’s cheeks as he looked anywhere but the only other person in the tent. He pulled out the slightly too small wooden chair and awkwardly settled into it. With downcast eyes, he took in the table, covered in an array of cheap tricks. There was a crystal ball, some astrological charts, illustrations of hands with lines all over them, and a deck of cards scattered across the threadbare cloth. 

“So what would you like?” the Psychic smiled warmly and Inuyasha carefully met her gaze. She continued, “I can read your cards or do a palm reading –“ 

“Cards sounds fine I guess,” Inuyasha rushed out, cutting her off immediately; the idea of her holding his hand was too much for him right now. 

“Cards it is,” she said taking his attitude in stride while smoothing her hands along her skirt. She picked them up and reached for the deck of cards on the table, making the bracelets on her wrists jingle. The cards were larger than playing cards and had an ornate design on the back that had looping gold threads around the phases of the moon. 

The Psychic started shuffling the cards and Inuyasha couldn’t help but watch her hands, covered in rings, as they daintily flexed around the deck. He swallowed. The sliding of the cards was methodical and his trance was broken as she spoke once more, “While I’m shuffling, I want you to think of a question, or a concern, or anything really that’s going on in your life that’s unclear. Make sure to keep that thought in the center of your mind and really focus on it.” After a nervous glance from him, she quickly amended, “Don’t worry, you don’t have to tell me.” 

‘This is complete bullshit,’ he thought. But if it was bullshit, why was he still sitting in this rickety wooden chair in this dim tent? Because there was a girl. Not just any girl, but quite possibly the most beautiful girl Inuyasha had ever seen in his entire life. He truly tried to think of anything, something that was bugging him – his half-brother, coursework, Miroku fucking leaving him here, but his brain kept going back to one thing – those bright azure eyes and rose petal lips of the woman in front of him. 

Before he knew it, the Psychic’s hands stilled and she placed the deck face down in front of her, “Do you have it?” Inuyasha nodded. It was a lie, but really, wasn’t everything a psychic did a lie? He deserved to even the playing field if only a little. 

Her lips quirked up into a small smile, but her eyes narrowed as if she knew he wasn’t being honest with her. After a beat, she placed a hand on the deck and drew the first card. With a small flourish, she flipped the card and placed it in front of the deck in the center of the table facing Inuyasha. A pale white skeleton stood out on a deep black background. The name of the card was printed in simple block letters below it.

Death. His card was death. Of course Inuyasha would be the unlucky bastard to get that card as his first one. He didn’t even know what it meant, but boy it looked bad. 

“It’s really not as bad as it looks,” the Psychic said, almost as if she was, well, psychic, “For new things to begin, something has to end. Death is easier to think of as change. What can you get rid of and let die to experience new things?” Inuyasha could have sworn there was a twinkle in her eye. How dare this woman presume to know him. He kept his mouth shut and waited with his arms crossed. 

Unphased, she pulled the next card. This card had a golden goblet, studded with jewels that was overflowing. “Oh, the ace of cups!” she chimed. Her eyes sparkled as she continued “ It means new beginnings and emotional fulfillment. Usually it’s linked with romance too.” She winked. 

Inuyasha gulped. He definitely didn’t imagine that. Was she… flirting with him? That was not possible. The beautiful woman with the delectable scent wouldn’t flirt with him. Maybe she just really liked reading cards? Or maybe it was part of her performance? Yeah, that had to be it. While he was looking at the suddenly very interesting charts on the table she pulled the third card. 

Next to the card with the goblet was placed a card with a beautiful woman in a flowing dress, surrounded by waves and holding a chalice. “The cards really must be trying to tell you something,” the Psychic chuckled to herself and shook her head, “The queen of cups is a really lovely woman. Patient, nurturing, kind...” she trailed off and he almost thought he heard a small sigh escape her lips.

Inuyasha continued to sit silently, a blush scattered across his cheeks. He knew it was impossible, but his brain kept going back to this woman and he couldn’t help imagining all of these cards pertaining to her. Maybe she was nurturing and kind? Perhaps she was looking for romance? She seemed like she could be...no. Inuyasha’s ears flattened as he squashed the thought down.

This was a psychic. Not just any psychic, but one at a carnival hastily pulled together by graduate students. Hell, she was probably even making up the meanings of the cards. How was he to be sure? He set his jaw. Yeah, she was probably telling everyone the same thing. She saw he was a single sap at the carnival on Valentine’s Day and she took pity on him and was telling him what she thought he wanted to hear.

The Psychic startled him out of his thoughts with her gentle voice, “One last card,” she said, placing the final card down. Her brows knit and her lips pursed as she studied the card. She brought her elbow to the table and rested her chin on her hand, staring at the illustration intently as if would do something magic.   
Inuyasha looked at the card, three interwoven branches growing towards the sky. Inuyasha was becoming increasingly antsy as the silence stretched on. As he was convincing himself she was trying to trick him for the umpteenth time he had to break the heavy silence, “What’s taking you so long?” he groused, “You knew all the other cards well enough.”

At that, the Psychic’s eyes snapped up and he could see the fire in them, “It’s not easy to interpret them all together sometimes!” she bristled and hair loosened from its clip. 

For a brief moment, Inuyasha paused to admire her beauty and although she seemed irritated, he kind of liked that he could get a rise out of her. He’d be damned if he’d ever let her know that though. “I mean, you’re probably making them all up anyway so what does it matter,” he deflected. 

“Okay fine,” She huffed, “The three of wands means to take action. In conjunction with the rest of the cards, it sounds like you’re going to meet a lovely woman and get swept off your feet and you should probably ask her out,” the words spilled out of her, “So for example, if you were maybe interested in asking out a Biology graduate student who volunteers to be a psychic for the annual carnival then you should probably do that.” 

Inuyasha’s ears twitched as watched her sapphire eyes widen. She snapped her mouth shut quickly after realizing that she had possibly shared too much of her thoughts. Meanwhile, he was now certain that the blush on his face was permanent. “Umm,” he was having trouble forming words, “You want me to ask you out?” he turned his golden eyes on hers.

He couldn’t say that idea was unappealing. In fact, it was probably the best way this night could have turned out. Wasn’t he thinking about her this whole time anyway? He made a mental note to buy Miroku a beer later. 

“Only if… only if you want to,” her fiery nature had subsided and she worried her lip at his silence. Suddenly, she seemed quite shy and Inuyasha was taken aback by how fast her mood changed. 

He scratched the back of his head, “Well, we’re already at the carnival after all,” he paused, shocked at himself for actually having the courage to answer her truthfully, “Would you wanna go grab some funnel cake?” He couldn’t help the small half smile with one fang peeking out that formed on his face. 

Her face broke out into a huge smile and she practically glowed, “That would be really nice,” she checked the small gold watch that was nestled between the bracelets on her wrist, “It looks like we’re about ready to close up for the night”. The Psychic pushed her chair back and stood up, stretching her arms above her. 

Inuyasha’s jaw went slack as he stared at the full form of the woman in front of him. His eyes raked over her body and he took in all of her curves hungrily. She giggled at his expression and Inuyasha thought about how he would never get tired of the sound. She grabbed his hand and yanked him up out of his seat. 

“Let’s go before the booth closes,” she led him out of the tent and his chest tightened as he realized that he was hopelessly going to follow wherever she lead him. Somehow, it didn’t feel so bad.   
“My name’s Kagome, by the way. I promise you don’t have to call me Madame Higurashi,” she chuckled at her own joke and tugged him so he was walking next to her and she was nestled into his side. 

“Inuyasha,” he grunted out. He was still in shock that he was dragged out of the tent so quickly. Not only that, but he was somehow on a date. At the carnival he never wanted to go to in the first place. With the psychic that he didn’t even want to see. And he was holding her delicate hand and inhaling her sweet scent as she pressed herself into him. 

“How…” he paused, trying to figure out the right way to say this, “How did you know I wanted to ask you out?”

Kagome glanced up at him and his heart stopped. Her eyes sparkled under the string lights. “I’m pretty good at reading people,” she stated simply, giving him a smirk and squeezing his hand.

“I knew it!” He crowed, “I knew you were making all that up!” Inuyasha shook his head in mock disapproval, even as he started snickering. 

“Heyyy!” she complained right back shoving her shoulder harder into his side, “It was only the last card I made up, but that’s because I knew you weren’t going to do anything otherwise!” Inuyasha immediately stopped laughing and stared down at the petite woman clinging to him, his expression one of genuine shock. She burst into a fit of giggles even snorting lightly, which Inuyasha wasn’t sure how, but that made her even more endearing. 

“I don’t regret my decision!” she defended herself amidst her subsiding laughter. Her happiness was contagious and he smiled down at her. He didn’t know how Kagome was able to melt away his surly disposition so quickly, but he definitely didn’t regret her decision either. 

Inuyasha tore his eyes away from her and saw that they were nearly at the snack booth. Miroku was still hovering around the open window of it as the folks inside were cleaning up. 

Kagome raised her arm in a big wave at the woman Inuyasha had seen in the booth earlier. She was scrubbing a pan, but looked up as Kagome called out, “Hey Sango, do you mind making one more funnel cake real quick?” She gestured between herself and Inuyasha and raised her eyebrows at the woman. Clearly, her and this Sango were friends and clearly, they were going to be having a conversation later. 

Miroku turned his head away from the booth at the shout and did a double-take at the realization that the bubbly woman was with his friend. His friend who was notoriously bad with people. His friend who didn’t even want to go out tonight. Inuyasha watched the cheshire grin form. Oh no. Whatever he was going to say he did not want to hear it. “Aren’t you glad you came out to the carnival?” Miroku sang out to him, waving at both him and Kagome. 

“Shut it bozu,” he responded with as much snark as he could, all the while squeezing the hand of the woman next to him.


End file.
